Group Members: *Rowena Gordon*, Jacob Pearson, Milly Fellows, Mansur Batchelor
We will conduct a belt transect that will sample individuals from 2 habitat types: the scrub and the open grassland. We will attempt to take the same number of individuals, where possible, from each sample site from a predetermined, set area in order to standardise the effort used for each sample.
Hypothesis There will be significant difference between the frequencies of morphs in the scrub habitats and grassland habitats, attributable not only to genetic drift and gene flow, but also to selection.
Null Hypothesis There will be no significant difference between the frequencies of morphs in the scrub habitats and the grassland habitats, implying the absence of selection. Observable polymorphism will be due to genetic drift and gene flow.
Advantages:
We are taking all of our samples at one altitude which eliminates altitude as a variable
We are sampling only two habitat types, and can therefore replicate our samples twice
Because of the positioning of the samples we should be able to test whether there has been a founder event
We can test to see if there is any gene flow between the populations in the different areas
As we are collecting the same number of individuals from a set area our data will be quantitative, allowing us to compare results across different studies
Disadvantages:
If altitude affects polymorphism we will not be able to see these effects as the altitude is the same for all the sample sites
We have not combined our sampling with another group to get more results, this means that there may not be enough data for us to be able to reach any conclusions
We will conduct a belt transect that will sample individuals from 2 habitat types: the scrub and the open grassland. We will attempt to take the same number of individuals, where possible, from each sample site from a predetermined, set area in order to standardise the effort used for each sample.
Hypothesis
There will be significant difference between the frequencies of morphs in the scrub habitats and grassland habitats, attributable not only to genetic drift and gene flow, but also to selection.
Null Hypothesis
There will be no significant difference between the frequencies of morphs in the scrub habitats and the grassland habitats, implying the absence of selection. Observable polymorphism will be due to genetic drift and gene flow.
Advantages:
- We are taking all of our samples at one altitude which eliminates altitude as a variable
- We are sampling only two habitat types, and can therefore replicate our samples twice
- Because of the positioning of the samples we should be able to test whether there has been a founder event
- We can test to see if there is any gene flow between the populations in the different areas
- As we are collecting the same number of individuals from a set area our data will be quantitative, allowing us to compare results across different studies
Disadvantages: